Panora the Moogle
by cronosphere
Summary: Before humans walk the earth there exists a Moogle paradise. The only rule in this paradise is a simple one: never open the box. So what happens when Panora's curiosity gets the better of her?


The land you now stand on was once part of a moogle paradise, or so they say. Long before mankind ever set foot on the world, the moogles were here; playful and curious creatures that took care of the world as it grew. They watered the plants and fed the animals and danced and played all the time. It was paradise in the beginning.

But paradise has always had a condition, a rule that must be obeyed. And if that rule is not obeyed then the paradise is lost forever. For the moogles, that rule consisted of a box. The box contained something that the moogles were told to keep in the box so that paradise could exist. No one was allowed to open the box, not even for a peek.

Now the moogles are curious indeed, but they are also very good at heart. And so the moogles continued to take care of the world and play together for a long time without opening the box.

But then there was born a moogle named Panora. Panora was always asking questions because she wanted to know everything about everything. She asked about why the trees grew. She asked about why the flowers were different colors. She asked about why some animals could fly while others could swim. And when her elders told her about the box, she wanted to know what was inside it.

The other moogles told Panora that no one knew what was in the box, but everyone knew that you were not allowed to open the box. If the box were opened, the elders said, then the moogles couldn't dance and sing and play, but they couldn't say why they knew that this was so.

This answer did not satisfy the curious moogle. Panora found herself thinking about the box that should never ever be opened. When she watered the plants, Panora thought about what was inside. When she fed the animals, Panora thought about what the box looked like on the inside. When she danced and played with the other moogles, Panora thought about what would happen if she were to take just a small little peek inside the box.

One night, Panora woke up from a dream she had where she had tried to open the box. She had awakened at the most frustrating moment possible: right as she was lifting the lid and about to see what was inside. So, with her curiosity frustrated beyond control, Panora crept out of bed and snuck out to the place where the box was kept.

The other moogles were fast asleep, and there were no guards for the box. Why would there be? All the moogles knew that no one was supposed to open the box. Besides, everyone was too busy sleeping or eating or playing or taking care of things to waste time guarding the box. Thus, when Panora approached to box there was no one to stop her.

She approached the box slowly, waiting for something bad to happen if she should get to close. But she got right next to the box, and nothing happened. Nervously, she reached out to touch the box with one shaking little finger. And the moment her finger touched the box…nothing happened. Nothing happened the next moment either, or the moment after that.

Panora put her whole hand on the side of the box. It felt smooth and cool and terribly ordinary. So Panora picked up the box. It wasn't heavy at all. She examined each side, then the lid, and then the bottom. There was nothing written on the box, nor were there any patterns or markings of any kind at all. There was nothing at all on the outside of the box that made it seem special in anyway.

This only made Panora even more curious. She pressed her ear up against the side of the box and listened carefully, but she couldn't hear anything inside the box. Then she shook the box gently and listened, but she couldn't hear anything rattling around while she shook, and it made no noise when she stopped. Panora shook the box even harder this time, but still she heard nothing rattling and nothing settling when she stopped. More than a little frustrated, she put the box back where it had been resting before.

There was nothing left to do, Panora decided. She would never discover what was inside the box without opening it up. So she reached out carefully with both hands. She grasped the lid with one hand and the base of the box with the other hand. Then she took a deep breath, thought one last time about whether or not she should do this, and then…

…she decided…

…not to open it!

Oh ho, and she was so happy and proud of herself that when the other moogles woke up she laughed and played and danced with them and had such a wonderful time. And the world was still a happy and joyful place for as long as the moogles were able to take care of everything.


End file.
